Shenzhen: The Silicon Valley of hardware - Trailer

'A new breed of intellectual property’: part three of WIRED’s Shenzhen documentary

In this third episode we explore how attitudes in Shenzhen about patents and intellectual property differ to those in the West. In particular, we look at how the evolution of “ shanzhai” - or copycat manufacturing - has created an ecosystem that could transform traditional models of business, distribution and innovation. Although, technically, any knock-off goods can be called shanzhai, the word's meaning has recently shifted to refer to electronic goods, and episode three delves behind the scenes of this business culture.

The final part of the series is out next Tuesday June 28, when we’ll be asking to what extent the practices in Shenzhen have the power to revolutionise our world. Subscribe to the WIRED YouTube channel to not miss an episode.